Transportable drilling mast substructure with elevatable drawworks

ABSTRACT

A transportable support structure for a drilling mast and drawworks includes spaced longitudinally extending members with lateral brace members extending therebetween to provide a support structure for a gin pole support and a drilling mast as well as an elevatable drawworks support structure which is pivotally secured to the transportable support structure. Support means are provided for supporting the elevatable drawworks support in an intermediate position between retracted position on the support structure and elevated position to enable the support structure, drilling mast and drawworks to be moved from one location to another.

Unite States Patent 11 1 1111 3,754,361

ranham et al. Aug. 28, 1973 i 1 TRANSPORTABLE DRILLING MAST 3,271,9159/1966 Woolslayer et a1 52/116 x SUBSTRUCTURE WITH ELEVATABLE 3,280,51910/1966 Jenkins et al. 52/120 X 3,483,933 12/1969 Dyer et 52/116 XDRAWWORKS 3,680,720 8/1972 Strange 18019.48 X [75 I inventors: Donald R.Branham; Paul E. Borg,

both of Houston Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. [73 Assignee: PyramidDerrick & Equipment, Attorney-Jack Hayden Houston, Tex.

57 STRACT [22] Filed: June 26, 1972 I 1 A transportable supportstructure for a dnllmg mast 1 PP 265,329 and drawworks includes spacedlongitudinally extending members with lateral brace members extending 52u.s. c1 52/115 52/116 52/143 therebetwee Pmvide 3 a 8O/9A8 pole supportand a drilling mast as well as an elevatable 511 1111. c1 E0411 12/34dawwmks which is Pimauy seemed 58 Field of Search l80/9.48, DIG. 2;anslmnable Supp means 230/34 296/27. 52/111 116 143 US are provided forsupporting the elevatable drawworks 6 support in an intermediateposition between retracted position on the support structure andelevated position [56] Reerences Cited to enable the support structure,drilling mast and draw- UNTED STATES PATENTS works to be moved from onelocation to another. 2,663,375 12/1953 Caldwell 52 143 x 2 Claims, 5Drawing Figures /6 1 2:9 1 3 Z5 0 I 1 f l K l '1} 0 Z 1 I Q Q y f"? 1 l1J7 l d l I 5 l 1-;15 ll 4 50 s e Q4 L m 2 Patented Aug. 28, 19733,754,361

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,754,361

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,754,361

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TRANSPORTABLE DRILLING MAST SUBSTRUCTURE WITHELEVATABLE DRAWWORKS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention isintended to provide a support arrangement for moving a drilling mast anddrawworks mounted on such supportstructure from one location to another.It includes an arrangement so that the drawworks is pivotally carried onthe support structure and may be lowered to an intermediate positionbetween retracted position on the support structure and elevatedposition on the support structure when it is desired to move the supportstructure.

Also, the support structure is provided with means for supporting wheelseither inboard or outboard of the structure, depending upon whether thesupport structure is to be moved along a road, or moved from one fieldlocation to another.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a transportablesupport structure for a drilling mast and drawworks wherein thedrawworks is elevatably supported on a support structure with hydrauliccylinder and piston means connected between the drawworks supportstructure and the transportable support structure for elevation of thedrawworks to an elevated position and retraction from such elevatedposition when desired.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention become moreapparant from a consideration of the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side schematic viewillustrating the transportable support structure with wheels mountedinboard of longitudinally extending members on the support structure,the drawworks in intermediate elevated position in dotted line and infull elevated position in solid line with the gin pole arrangement forsupporting the mast on the transportable structure;

FIG. 2 is a front end elevation illustrating the transportable supportstructure supported on dollies for movement thereof;

FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. 1 showing the elevatable drawworks insolid line in intermediate elevated position;

FIG. 4 is an end view illustrating the relationship of the outboardwheels to the transportable support structure for movement thereof withthe mast and drawworks in elevated position; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the hydraulic cylinderand piston arrangement for elevating and lowering the elevatabledrawworks support structure.

Attention is first directed to FIG. I of the drawings wherein atransportable support structure is referred to generally by the number7. Such structure includes spaced longitudinal, generally horizontallyextending members 8 which are provided with suitable bracingtherebetween as shown at 9, and also provided with suitable bracingreferred to generally by the numberal in FIG. 2 to provide rigidity andstructural strength to the transportable support structure 7. It can beappreciated that any suitable number of laterally extending brace means9 and 10 may be provided to accomplish this purpose.

Gin pole means referred to generally at I5 is mounted on the supportstructure 7 and comprises iegs l6 and 17 pivotally secured at 18 and 19respectively to the support structure 7 and extend upwardly therefrom tobe joined at their upper ends as shown in FIG. 1. Gin pole means isprovided on each side of the sup port structure 7 in spaced relation andis provided with suitable means 20 for connecting with the mast 21 tosupport it when erected. The mast is further supported by the supportmeans 20 which also may carry the legs 16 of each of the gin pole means15.

In FIG. 1 an elevatable drawworks support is referred to generally at 25and is shown in dotted line in an intermediate position and in full linein a full elevated position.

When it is desired to move the transportable support structure over aroad, the mast 21 is lowered and removed from the transportable supportstructure 7. The drawworks 25 is then lowered to the intermediate dottedline position shown in FIG. I, the structure 7 is then jacked up and thedollies represented at 30 as better illustrated in FIG. 3, arepositioned under the jacked-up transportable structure 7 so that it maybe moved over a road. It will be noted that the transportable structure7 includes a suitable fifth wheel arrangement referred to at 35 forcarrying the dollies 30 inboard of the longitudinally extending means 8.Similarly, the support structure 7 is provided with a fifth wheel meansreferred to generally at 36 so that dollies 40 may be carried outboardof the longitudinally extending members 8, for a purpose as will bedescribed.

The elevatable drawworks support structure 25 includes the legs and 51which are pivotally connected at one end to the support structure 7 toenable the drawworks support structure 25 to be moved from its lowermostposition on the support structure 7 up to full elevated position, andback down to either an intermediate position or to the full retractedposition as will be described.

To accomplish such result, it will be noted that the elevatable supportstructure 25 includes suitable brace beam 25a connected therewith. Thebrace beam 25a is provided with a downwardly extending projection 25badjacent each end for resting on the longitudinally extending means 8while retaining the drawworks support structure 25 in suitable elevatedposition for clearance therebetween and the dollies 30 when thestructure is jacked up and the dollies 30 positioned thereunder.

It will be noted that the fifth wheel arrangement 36 for outboarddollies 40 is located forward of the fifth wheel arrangement 35 for theinboard dollies 35 and thus is closer to the gin pole means 15 than arethe inboard dolly supports 35. Therefore, to enable the beam 25a and thedolly supports 35 carried thereby to move to the intermediate position,the transportable support structure 7 is provided with a removable brace36a adjacent the central part thereof which connects at each end withthe extensions 36b mounted on support structure 7 as better seen in FIG.4. The central brace 360 may be secured to the outwardly extendingportions 36b by any suitable means such as the connecting arrangementreferred to generally at 37 comprising a plate with bolts securing it tosupport structure 7 and removable beam 360. It can be appreciated thatthe outwardly extending portion 36b are permanently secured in place tothe longitudinally extending beams 8 of the transportable supportstructure 7 and remain in position at all times.

Thus, when it is desired to lower the elevatable drawworks supportstructure 25 from the elevated position illustrated in FIG. 4 to theintermediate position illustrated in FIG. 3, the central beam 36abetween the extensions 36b is removed whereupon clearance is providedfor movement of the legs 50 and 51 of the elevatable drawworks supportstructure between the extensions 36b so that the downwardly extendingprojection 25b of beam 25a may rest on the longitudinally extendingbeams 8 as shown in FIG. 3. If desired, the downwardly extensions 25bmay be secured to the beam 8 by any suitable means such as bolts or thelike.

The front end of the transportable support structure is also providedwith a pivotal arrangement referred to generally at 150 in FIG. 2 forsupport of the dollies 151 thereon.

In FIG. 5, the support structure 7 is again referred to and is shown asincluding the longitudinally extending beams 8. The elevatable drawworkssupport structure is again referred to at 25 in dotted line as well asbeing shown in full line view at 25. Legs 50 and 51 are again providedwhich are pivotally connected to the transportable support structure andthe elevatable drawworks structure 25, and in addition a suitablehydraulic cylinder and piston arrangement is provided as illustratedgenerally at 55. Such arrangement includes telescoping hydrauliccylinders 56 which are provided with piston means 57 therein so thatwhen hydraulic fluid is supplied to act on the piston 57, the telescopiccylinders are extended and the piston urged outwardly until theelevatable drawworks structure reaches its elevated position. It can belowered either to full retracted position on the support structure or tothe intermediate position described hereinbefore by releasing thehydraulic fluid from the hydraulic cylinder in a manner well known inthe art.

When it is desired to lower the elevatable drawworks structure 25 ontothe transportable structure 7, the downwardly extending projections 25bare removed whereupon the beam 250 will extend between and rest uponlongitudinal beam 8 of such transportable support structure.

What is claimed:

1. A transportable support structure for a drilling mast and drawworkscomprising:

a. a support structure including:

1. spaced, longitudinally extending members; 2. lateral brace memberssecured to and extending between said longitudinally extending members;

b. gin pole means secured to said support structure;

c. mast support means secured to said support structure;

d. an elevatable drawworks support structure pivotally secured to saidsupport structure adjacent said gin pole support means;

e. means on said support structure for supporting said drawworks supportstructure in retracted position thereon;

f. support means for supporting said elevatable drawworks support in anintermediate position between retracted position and elevated positionon said support structure; and

g. wheel support means secured to said support structure inboard andoutboard of said spaced, longitudinally extending members.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said elevatable drawworks supportstructure includes hydraulic cylinders and piston means therein wherebyhydraulic fluid supplied to said cylinders act on said piston meanstherein to efi'ect raising and lowering of said elevatable drawworkssupport structure.

1. A transportable support structure for a drilling mast and drawworks comprising: a. a support structure including:
 1. spaced, longitudinally extending members;
 2. lateral brace members secured to and extending between said longitudinally extending members; b. gin pole means secured to said support structure; c. mast support means secured to said support structure; d. an elevatable drawworks support structure pivotally secured to said support structure adjacent said gin pole support means; e. means on said support structure for supporting said drawworks support structure in retracted position thereon; f. support means for supporting said elevatable drawworks support in an intermediate position between retracted position and elevated position on said support structure; and g. wheel support means secured to said support structure inboard and outboard of said spaced, longitudinally extending members.
 2. lateral brace members secured to and extending between said longitudinally extending members; b. gin pole means secured to said support structure; c. mast support means secured to said support structure; d. an elevatable drawworks support structure pivotally secured to said support structure adjacent said gin pole support means; e. means on said support structure for supporting said drawworks support structure in retracted position thereon; f. support means for supporting said elevatable drawworks support in an intermediate position between retracted position and elevated position on said support structure; and g. wheel support means secured to said support structure inboard and outboard of said spaced, longitudinally extending members.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said elevatable drawworks support structure includes hydraulic cylinders and piston means thereon whereby hydraulic fluid supplied to said cylinders act on said piston means therein to effect raising and lowering of said elevatable drawworks support structure. 